Hydrogen may be a climate solution. There's debate over how clean it will truly be

https://www.npr.org/2022/05/27/ [login to see] /clean-energy-hydrogen-energy-climate-change
At an industrial site on the banks of the Ohio River, a big blue building with pipes coming in and out of it could be part of the country's transition to cleaner energy. At least its owners hope so.

Inside is a gas-fired power plant that could generate enough electricity for almost 400,000 homes. Lately, though, the company that operates the plant, Long Ridge Energy, has started blending a small amount of hydrogen — no more than 5% — in with the natural gas.

"The market really shifted over the last couple of years," says CEO Bo Wholey. "We're really responding to what the market wants."

What the market wants is energy that doesn't create carbon pollution. Wholey thinks hydrogen, the most common element in the universe, could be the answer.

When it's used to fuel a car or power plant, hydrogen's chief byproduct is water — not climate-warming carbon dioxide. But finding a clean and cheap source for making hydrogen has eluded scientists and policymakers for decades.